United States v. Keystone Biofuels

350 F. Supp. 3d 310
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 28, 2018
Docket1:17-CR-00143
StatusPublished

This text of 350 F. Supp. 3d 310 (United States v. Keystone Biofuels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Keystone Biofuels, 350 F. Supp. 3d 310 (M.D. Pa. 2018).

Opinion

John E. Jones III, United States District Judge

Currently pending before the Court are four motions to dismiss filed by Defendant Ben Wootton and joined by Defendant Race Miner by Order dated October 16, 2018. (Doc. 92). Those motions are as follows: Defendant Ben Wootton's Motion to Dismiss Counts 1, 3-8, and 9 with Incorporated Brief, (Doc. 70), Defendant Ben Wootton's Motion to Dismiss Count 9 - Failure to Allege Commission of a Crime, (Doc. 72), Defendant Ben Wootton's Motion to Dismiss Count 2 - Duplicitous, (Doc. 73), Defendant Ben Wootton's Motion to Dismiss Count 2 - Statute of Limitations, (Doc. 74). Also pending are Defendant Race Miner's Motion to Dismiss Count 2, (Doc. 93), Defendant Race Miner's Motion to Sever Defendant, (Doc. 98), and Defendant Ben Wootton's Motion for Severance of Charges, (Doc. 71). All of these motions have been fully briefed and are ripe for disposition. For the reasons that follow, all of these aforementioned motions shall be denied.

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS

On May 3, 2017, the Government charged Ben Wootton, Race Miner, and Keystone Biofuels in a seven count Indictment, alleging that Wootton, Miner, and Keystone conspired to commit a criminal offense. (Doc. 1). On January 24, 2018, the Government filed a nine-count Superseding Indictment, the operative indictment in this case. (Doc. 41). In Count 1, the Government charged that, between August 13, 2009 and September 24, 2013, Wootton, Miner, and Keystone conspired to falsify or conceal a material fact or make materially false or fraudulent statements to the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"). According to the Government, Wootton, Miner, and Keystone unlawfully generated over sixteen million biodiesel Renewable Identification Numbers ("RINs") through the EPA's online Moderated Transaction System, knowing that the biodiesel for which these RINs were being generated did not meet the standards established by the American Society of Testing and Materials provision D6751 ("ASTM D6751") as required by EPA regulations. These RINs were then traded or sold pursuant to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, generating in excess of $10 million for Wootton, Miner, and Keystone. As overt acts in furtherance of this conspiracy, the Government cited emails between unindicted co-conspirators, Wootton, and Miner which indicated that samples of Keystone's biodiesel had failed testing for conformity with ASTM D6751, as well as certificates signed by Wootton which certified that the biodiesel for which Keystone had generated the RINs conformed to ATSM D6751. Relatedly, in Counts 3 through 8 of the Superseding Indictment, the Government alleged that the codefendants' false statements to the EPA directly violated 18 U.S.C. § 1001, *315the predicate crime underlying the conspiracy charge.

In Count 2, the Government charged that Wootton and Miner conspired to defraud the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"). As relevant background, the IRS provides a refundable Biodiesel Mixture Credit ("BMC") to individuals or businesses that mix1 standard diesel fuel with biodiesel for use or resale. The refundable credit is equal to one dollar for each gallon mixed and is obtained by filing IRS Form 8849, along with that form's accompanying schedule wherein the applicant notes the amount of biodiesel mixed and provides a signed certificate confirming under penalty of perjury that the reported biodiesel conforms to ASTM D6751. According to the Government, between January 7, 2009 and February 16, 2012, Wootton and Miner claimed the BMC for biodiesel that had been mixed but did not conform to ASTM D6751 ("off-spec fuel"), for fuel that was never produced ("phantom fuel"), and for fuel that had never been mixed ("unmixed fuel"). The Government also contended that Wootton and Miner covered up their fraud by manufacturing false test reports through Miner's Colorado-based fuel testing lab, RAAM Analytical, Inc., and that Wootton and Miner falsified Keystone's books and records by entering sham purchases and sales of feedstock (a component of blended biofuel) and false bills of lading for transactions that never occurred. The Government also contended that the codefendants then provided those fictitious documents to the IRS during its investigation of Keystone. In addition to these falsified documents, the Government pointed to communications between Wootton and "Company D" wherein Wootton warned Company D that the IRS may contact the company and that Company D should let Wootton know if it does. According to the Superseding Indictment, Wootton later told Company D's representative specific figures to report to the IRS so as to avoid further investigation by the IRS. Relatedly, in Count 9, the Government averred that Wootton and Miner aided and assisted in the preparation of false tax claims in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2).

II. DEFENDANTS' MOTIONS TO DISMISS

A federal indictment need include only "a plain, concise, and definite written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged" and "the official or customary citation of the statute, rule, regulation, or other provision of law that the defendant is alleged to have violated." FED.R.CRIM.P. 7(c)(1). An indictment is sufficient under Rule 7 if it:

(1) contains the elements of the offense intended to be charged, (2) sufficiently apprises the defendant of what he must be prepared to meet, and (3) allows the defendant to show with accuracy to what extent he may plead a former acquittal or conviction in the event of a subsequent prosecution.

United States v. Kemp , 500 F.3d 257, 280 (3d Cir. 2007) (quoting United States v. Vitillo , 490 F.3d 314 (3d Cir. 2007) ). "[N]o greater specificity than the statutory language is required so long as there is sufficient factual orientation to permit the defendant to prepare his defense and to invoke double jeopardy in the event of a subsequent prosecution." Id. (quoting United States v. Rankin , 870 F.2d 109, 112 (3d Cir. 1989) ).

*316Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure

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Bluebook (online)
350 F. Supp. 3d 310, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-keystone-biofuels-pamd-2018.